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From kindergarten through the end of third grade,
students learn to read. From fourth grade on, kids need to be
able to read in order to learn.

Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success,
and early age literacy is vital to education. We understand the
importance of investing in early learning tools that will set
students and families up for a lifetime of success. Studies show
students reading at grade level are four times more likely to
graduate from high school.

United Way’s Experience Corps program has completed its first
school semester and is going strong! Experience Corps is a
reading tutor program which matches volunteers ages 50+ with
small groups of kindergarten through third grade students in
local schools.

As an AARP Foundation Experience Corps volunteer you are working
as a partner in assisting schools reach their student
achievement goals. After training, you will have the opportunity
to assist students in small groups, two times a week
throughout the school year.

As a volunteer, you will:

Help students read at grade level (or even beyond!)

Receive specific training prior to volunteering

Provide consistent support to the same school
and classroom over the course of the school year

Receive on-going training and volunteer support

Have the opportunity to meet and network with fellow
volunteers

Experience Corps specifically recruit adults who are 50+ years of
age to be tutors. Volunteer tutors serve in teams with a higher
commitment of hours per week, approximately 2 days per
week, 2-3 hours per day. This allows the program to
have a greater presence and impact on the school environment
because there is consistency, dedication and reliability.